Why do I need a barrister to advise on my will dispute?
Once you’ve engaged a solicitor to represent you in a will dispute, you may be surprised when he or she recommends using a barrister. It won’t always be necessary to use a barrister, but there are plenty of situations that arise when challenging a will (or defending a challenge to a will), when a barrister will provide vital advice both on legal matters and on strategy. In this blog we look at the role of a barrister in more detail, and what they bring to a will dispute, talking to Amy Berry , a barrister specialising in inheritance, wills and probate issues, from Pump Court Chambers.
Expertise
You will have chosen your solicitor on the basis that they are expert in this field. A barrister can add a further layer of expertise, particularly when considering negotiation strategy, or a forthcoming court hearing. As Amy explains,
“As specialists in contentious probate, dealing with these issues on a day to day basis and in a variety of different situations, a barrister is in the best position to assess a will dispute objectively, to look for any weaknesses in an argument and to cross check the facts”
Independence and Objectivity
As solicitors specialising in contentious probate, we will be involved in the day to day conduct of your case – preparing documents, gathering evidence, writing letters and dealing with the procedure of putting your case together and making sure matters such as deadlines are respected. A barrister will take a step back, and view the matter in the round. Amy continues:
“It’s fundamental to understand that barristers are independent. Barristers are usually self-employed, and will be brought in to a will dispute by a solicitor to provide objective and practical advice both on the strength of the case you are bringing or defending, and also in relation to the procedure and strategy that should be followed for the best outcome.
Barristers are also independent of each other – even if we are in the same ‘chambers’. We are governed by strict rules of conduct which means that if there is any question of a conflict of interest, we will not be able to be involved. This can be confusing for people who aren’t used to the way barristers work. You may find that barristers acting for both Claimant and Defendant in a will dispute are from the same chambers – but this does not mean that there is a conflict. Even more often you have a mediator from the same set as a barrister representing a party in the mediation. There is no conflict in such situations and no reason to be alarmed. There will only be a conflict if those barristers have discussed one side of the case between themselves and after that one takes the brief for the other side with knowledge that they would not have but for those discussions – and the rules of conduct and our independence means that this should not happen.”
Assessment of the case
Once we have gathered together all the evidence and perhaps engaged in some initial negotiation with the solicitors acting for the other side in the will dispute, a barrister’s objectivity is often indispensable for making a realistic assessment of the claim and the likelihood of it succeeding if the matter was to be heard by a judge in court.
“Barristers are not only experts in the areas of law they specialise in, they are also trained in court procedure and are experts in assessing practical matters that can strengthen – and perhaps more importantly weaken – a claim, or defence in a will dispute.
Although I will probably have had the papers in a case beforehand, quite often, I will meet a Claimant or Defendant in a will dispute for the first time at a mediation or at court. At this point, my job will be to look at practical aspects of the case and explain these to the client. I can sometimes suggest a different way of looking at a dispute, or a possible outcome; for example, tax benefits from reaching a negotiated settlement through mediation which might not be available should a matter reach the courts. A solicitor may have been able to discuss these with a client, however, barristers will often have more experience of solutions which have been reached in other situations.
Finally, when a barrister is involved at a mediation stage, or brought in to a case in preparation for a court hearing, they will be assessing the personalities involved and how they may react in a court room situation. One of the benefits of mediation is that it avoids the need for the confrontation of a court hearing which may cause huge amounts of stress to parties or to the witnesses which may have a bearing on the outcome of the case.”
Bringing a legal claim to challenge a will can be a complicated process which is why we always recommend using a specialist solicitor to manage your claim. However, in many cases, the additional legal services of a barrister will be vital in the successful resolution of your claim.